By unanimous vote, the Arlington County Board in Virginia approved a plan Saturday to keep a critical infrastructure system running beneath the feet of present and future residents.
The board agreed to update its Sanitary Sewer Collection System Plan — a blueprint for maintaining the county’s 459-mile sewer system, which serves nearly 238,000 residents.
It’s the first update to the plan since 2002. Before the vote, some members marveled at their predecessors, who developed a system in the 1930s that could safely serve the county for decades.
“It’s really exciting to think back of Arlington 100 years ago and the forethought that folks had to build a system that has lasted this long and that we can continue to expand,” said Board member Susan Cunningham.
The plan sets forth the policies and improvements that are necessary in the sanitary sewer system to meet future growth in the county and it includes at least two capital improvement plans.
The updated plan was praised as both economical and good for the environment.
“I think that this is one of those great opportunities to highlight that doing the right thing for the environment is also doing the right thing financially and economically in the long term,” Board member Maureen Coffey said.
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